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In Southern Italy, new attacks on cooperatives cultivating land confiscated from the mafias

In recent weeks, fires and thefts have hit some cooperatives working in fields seized from the cosche in Calabria. 'Attacks on social justice', claim the members, who ask institutions and civil society to defend 'a collective heritage'

Toni MiraGiornalista e componente del comitato scientifico de lavialibera

9 luglio 2025

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Seven hectares of organic wheat incinerated by an arson attack. This is the fourth act of intimidation in less than a month against the Valle del Marro-Libera Terra social cooperative, which cultivates over a hundred hectares of land confiscated from the main 'ndrangheta clans in the Gioia Tauro Plain, between the municipalities of Oppido Mamertina, Rosarno, Rizziconi, Gioia Tauro and Taurianova (in Calabria), names that evoke 'ndranghetist' power. Another Libera Terra reality, the Beppe Montana cooperative in Ramacca (Catania), suffered yet another theft.

Libera Terra, the challenges of those who cultivate land confiscated from the 'ndrangheta

Valle del Marro, founded 21 years ago on the initiative of the Diocese of Oppido-Palmi and Libera, with the support of the Policoro Project by the Episcopal Conference of Italy (CEI) for youth entrepreneurship in the South, is part of the Libera Terra Mediterraneo Consortium. The social cooperative is unfortunately not new to such serious intimidation: fires, cutting down centuries-old olive trees, thefts, and damage to farm equipment. Since the first days of activity. But four in less than a month are worrying, not least because of the timing of the actions.

Less than a month ago,' the president of the cooperative, Domenico Fazzari, tells us, 'the pipes of the irrigation system were cut in three plots of land in the municipality of Gioia Tauro, two cultivated with clementines and one with kiwis. Fundamental components of the systems such as desanders, fertirrigators, filters and vents were also stolen, effectively making irrigation impossible. Last 17 June, again in the Gioia Tauro area, in the Pontevecchio locality, a plot of land cultivated with organic wheat, almost ready for harvest, was set on fire. "We had made firebreaks on the outer edge where a road passes, to avoid occasional fires. It was definitely not a cigarette butt thrown from a passing car. The fire started from inside the cultivated field and not from the road, as the fire brigade confirmed to us'.

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Intimidation as a criminal project

Someone definitely wants to harm the cooperative. This is proven by the fact that last year another wheat field had been set on fire directly opposite the one burnt now. And that damage to the irrigation equipment has also been repeated in the past. "Besides the direct economic damage," Fazzari emphasises, "there is also indirect damage, because the plants are suffering. And it is certainly no coincidence that they chose days of great heat, just as the fire started on a windy day". The one at the cooperative's field is the only fire that has broken out in the area in recent days. The members tried to defend themselves not only with firebreaks, but also by putting up a gate. "But a first one they destroyed it and a second one they stole overnight, with a damage of 900 euros. So we didn't put it in anymore'. A criminal project is evident. "But why? We can't understand and that's why we are even more worried,' Fazzari vented.

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Perhaps because the cooperative is a good economic reality: over a hundred hectares of citrus, olive, kiwi, chilli and wheat groves; ten permanent and 15 seasonal workers, including some immigrants; a hostel and a shop where the Libera Terra Consortium's products are sold, in a building confiscated from the Versace cosca (a family belonging to 'ndrangheta) in Polistena, which also houses the 'Don Pino Puglisi' youth centre of the parish of Santa Marina Vergine, led by Don Pino Demasi, the cooperative's 'dad'. And more recently the participation in the Seles project (Ethical and Free School of Sports Education), the football school set up in 2013 in Gioiosa Jonica on the initiative of the Don Milani Association, and then strengthened in Castelfranco Emilia and Polistena to offer children and young people quality sports training, flanked by education courses on democratic legality, inclusion and active citizenship. Currently 110 children participate in Polistena.

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'Change to stay, stay to change'

"'They are real attacks on restored legality and social justice. Those who attack crops attack the very existence of decent work"

Now the four attacks come at a 'turning point' for the cooperative, the president tells us, 'the contracts for the free use of the land are expiring and we hope they will be renewed. But there are also many plants that need to be renewed because the plants are old and unproductive, and some of our farm equipment also needs to be renewed'. So we really didn't want these damages, which, between lost grain crops and stolen and cut irrigation plants, will cost no less than 13 thousand euros, not including labour to restore.

The cooperative's members and workers certainly do not intend to give up but are asking the community for help. 'These acts do not represent simple agricultural damage,' explains Antonio Napoli, one of the members. 'They are real attacks on restored legality and social justice. Those who attack crops attack the very existence of decent work. Concrete solidarity and active support,' is the Valle del Marro's appeal, 'are the most immediate responses to those who attempt, with violence and fear, to put the brakes on the change that has long been underway'. When the cooperative was founded, its slogan was 'Change to stay, stay to change' and they have certainly not changed their minds. They should not be left alone.

Update: On Tuesday 8 July 2025, a fire, probably of an arson nature, destroyed 20 hectares of land confiscated from organised crime in the countryside of Lentini (Syracuse) where the Beppe Montana - Libera Terra cooperative cultivates durum wheat. 'The concern is that behind these gestures there is a precise design: to discourage us, to make us feel alone, to push us to give up,' said Alfio Curcio, head of the cooperative. 'We cannot allow this. The social re-use of confiscated property is a collective heritage: it must be defended by the institutions with the active support of civil society'.

This article was translated by our partner Kompreno with the support of DeepL.

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